An Alternative Perspective on Foreign Affairs

I have diverted a bit away this weekend from analysis of 2017 and 2018 because of the recent extraordinary acts of partisan obstruction by members of the key GOP Congressional committees that are supposed to be investigating the Russian hacking and influence in the 2016 election and possible collusion or other illegal acts by the Trump group. These new partisan acts are so outrageous in terms of undemanding fair and impartial justice and they move towards efforts to discredit the Special Counsel Muller efforts to see what really took place in a fair but through examination. Already they have gotten moved forward prosecutions and a plea of guilty by one of Trump’s associates. Now the GOP/Trump likely aim is to engineer the doing away with of the Special Counsel’s efforts or to discredit the entire effort. This is a mortal danger to both our democracy and our national security. It is the acts of those that are moving our nation away from democracy, impartiality and the rule of law.

From the only way to read what the GOP is doing and especially the GOP on the Hill, is to deflect attention from what the Steve Bannon has called treason, to taking on not its purpose collusion with Russia, but which seems now fairly well established, taking on the author Christopher Steele, former MI6 officer, of the Trump “Dossier” which has clearly some very bad news for Trump camp. Instead the GOP is trying now to direct attention from proven Russian influence on 2016 election to meaningless diversions.

Add also the GOP diversions by asking FBI to investigate again the Clinton Foundation after its looking into this question twice and finding nothing. This looks like to me to be “obstruction of justice” in substance if not in law. I think DOJ/FBI is being bent towards action against Trump opponents and its like Hitler’s action in the 30s against his opposition destroying the free German media, and authoritarian acts against those not in line with his brutal rule. Sound familiar?

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(CNN)Sen. John McCain blasted President Donald Trump on Friday for approving the release of the highly controversial GOP-Nunes memo, saying “if we continue to undermine our own rule of law, we are doing Putin’s job for him.”

McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Forces Committee, called on Trump and other elected officials to stop looking at special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation through “the warped lens of politics.”

“In 2016, the Russian government engaged in an elaborate plot to interfere in an American election and undermine our democracy,” McCain said. “… While we have no evidence that these efforts affected the outcome of our election, I fear they succeeded in fueling political discord and dividing us from one another.”

In a written statement released around the same time the memo was declassified, the Arizona Republican characterized the memo and its release as “partisan attacks” on the FBI and the Department of Justice.

The so-called attacks “serve no American interests,” he added — “no party’s, no president’s, only Putin’s.” “Our nation’s elected officials, including the President, must stop looking at this investigation through the warped lens of politics and manufacturing partisan sideshows,” McCain said. “If we continue to undermine our own rule of law, we are doing Putin’s job for him.”
The release of the memo — spearheaded by Devin Nunes, R-California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee — sent shockwaves through Washington on Friday as congressional Democrats and a smattering of Republicans decried it as a GOP-led effort to undermine the FBI’s investigation into Trump and Russia.

The memo alleges that the FBI abused its surveillance authority during an investigation into Carter Page, the President’s former foreign policy adviser.
Following the memo’s release, congressional Democrats called on the House Intelligence Committee to release their own party’s memo on the matter, which was produced by California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on that committee

In the 1/9/18 New York Times op-ed with the title ” The Worst and the Dumbest,” writer and Nobel prize winner, Paul Krugman has written wisely: ” In other words, even as much of the world is questing Trump’s fitness for office, the only people who could constrain him [Trump] are doing their best to place him above the law.” …

He added:”…his party doesn’t want you to know if he is a foreign agent.” Well put!

Quotes of the Week

December 12-18, 2016:
"Alongside our outstanding military work, we have to draw upon the strength of our diplomacy. Terrorists would love to see us walk away from the type of work that builds international coalitions, and ends conflicts, and stops the spread of deadly weapons. It would make life easier for them; it would be a tragic mistake for us. " - President Obama, December 6, 2016

“You know, I'm, like, a smart person. I don't have to be told the same thing in the same words every single day for the next eight years. Could be eight years — but eight years. I don't need that. But I do say, ‘If something should change, let us know.’” - President-Elect Donald Trump, in dismissing daily intelligence briefings

"[The African American community] came through, big league. Big league. And frankly if they had any doubt, they didn’t vote, and that was almost as good because a lot of people didn’t show up, because they felt good about me.” - President-Elect Donald Trump in Michigan, December 9, 2016

President Obama in an interview late Monday stressed the importance of daily intelligence briefings after President-elect Donald Trump pushed back against criticism that he receives the briefings only once a week.

"It doesn't matter how smart you are. You have to have the best information possible to make the best decisions possible. [The Intelligence community is] not perfect. But they are full of extraordinarily hardworking, patriotic and knowledgeable experts. And if you're not getting their perspective, their detailed perspective, then you are flying blind." - President Obama, December 12, 2016